A Safer Life for You and Your Family is Possible
Help for South African families wanting to escape living in fear and build a peaceful future starts here
Colonel Wyatt's conversations with People already Building New Lives in the USA
How to Apply For Assistance From The USRIP
Step 1. It all starts with a decision.
You are the only one who can decide if—and when—you’ve had enough of living in fear. Whether the fear is constant or creeping, public or silent, the first and most powerful step is acknowledging that your safety, dignity, and future matter. You do not have to wait until things get worse. You can choose to act now.
Step 2. Make sure that your situation qualifies. If you can answer yes to all 3 of the following questions then you can proceed to step 3
- Are you a permanent resident/citizen of South Africa.
- Are you member of a minority group living in South Africa (e.g. White, Indian, or Coloured, etc).
- Can you clearly describe either past persecution based on…
Race, Religion, Nationality, Political opinion, Membership in a particular group
or, a well-founded fear of future persecution based on…
Race, Religion, Nationality, Political opinion, Membership in a particular group
Step 3. Complete the Satement of Interest (SOI) form on the USRAP website.
Head to the official USRAP page on the official U.S. Govenment webite – https://za.usembassy.gov/refugee-admissions
Read through everything there, it basically says the same that we have shown here on this website. Scroll down to the part that looks something like this and click on the highlited link.
You will be directed to a form that you need to complete. You will have to provide the following…
- Name
- Surname
- Middle name (not required)
- Your primary contact number
- Your primary email address
- Country of Residence (Select between “South Africa” or “Other”)
- Number of people (including Yourself) that are interested in resettlement
- Include yourself, your spouse, and any children under the age of 18 that are living with you
- All other children and family members over the age of 18 should complete their own Statement of Interest (SOI)
- Do not panic, if accepted, the USRAP will do everything in their power to keep families together
- Select whether you and all your family members already have a valid South African passport “Yes” or “No”
- If you or any of your family members do not have a valid SA passport, then just select “no”
- Dont wait until you have your passports, cary on and complete the rest of the form.
- Begin the process of applying for your passports as soon as possible after submitting the completed Statement of Interest (SOI) form.
- Select how long you feel it will take before you are ready to leave SA
- “0 to 3 Months”
- “3 to 6 Months”
- “6 to 12 Months”
- “1 Year+”
- Do not fret too much about the above question though. If accepted, the USRAP will be really accommodating with regards to how long you need to prepare.
- Finally you will need to select which of the following statements best describes you reason for wanting to join the US Refugee Program.
- Past persecution based on race
- Past persecution based on religion
- Past persecution based on nationality
- Past persecution based on political opinion
- Past persecution based on membership in a particular social group
- Fear of future persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group should you remain in South Africa. Note: If you have not suffered past persecution, but you are afraid of future persecution, do not be dishonest about it, select only this option.
- None of the above
That’s it. Hit the “Submit Button” and you are registered to be considered for the program.
Step 4. Begin preparing your documents
You are now up for consideration in the United States Refugee Admittance Program (USRAP). It could take weeks, months, or even years but rest assured, as long as the program remains active, you will be contacted (See ASKED & ANSWERED for more information)
In the mean time you can start getting together all of the documents and paper work that might be needed.
You will need to have, at minimum the following ready.
- Valid passports for you and all of your family members.
- Unabridged birth certificated for you and all of your family members.
- Unabridged marriage certificates.
- Copies of ID’s, Passports, or Death Certificates of your parents
- Marriage certificates and divorce decrees from all previous marriages.
Step 5. Get your story straight
Depending on whether you indicated “Past Persecution,” “Fear of Future Persecution,” or both, you will eventually be contacted by an agent. During this interview, you must be able to clearly and credibly explain that you have either experienced past persecution or have a well-founded fear of future persecution. Importantly, it must be clearly demonstrated that this persecution is due to your membership in a minority group.
Do your research carefully and begin gathering and preserving any evidence that supports your case. It’s important to have this information ready for when an agent eventually contacts you.
Please note: “Persecution” and “Discrimination” are not the same. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) does not consider general discrimination alone—such as economic hardship, BEE/BBBEE policies, or a declining economy—as valid grounds for refugee status. To qualify, you must be able to clearly describe either past acts of violence or a well-founded fear of future violence directed at you specifically because of your being a member of a specific minority group.
Find out More Here Asked and Answered